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What to Do When Your Loved One Keeps Relapsing on Drugs & Alcohol

When your loved one is addicted to drugs and/or alcohol but makes the decision to get help to live a clean and sober life, you may feel ecstatic that they are ready to make the positive change. But what happens when their commitment turns out to be more false promises with relapse after relapse? Relapsing on drugs and alcohol can be devastating for the addict and their loved ones. While addiction is not a choice, making a change and getting help to stop using drugs and/or alcohol is. It can be extremely painful every time you think your loved one is on the right path, but then you see them as they end up right back where they started in the cycle of addiction. What is a loved one to do?

Dealing with a Loved One in Relapse Mode

It’s important to always keep in mind that you cannot make your loved one get sober. You can be supportive of their recovery and guide them on the right path by recommending a trusted drug and alcohol rehab center, but you cannot “make” them sober because ultimately, your loved one has to do the work. It can be discouraging to witness your loved one slip up time and time again after seeing them in the right direction each time. However, it’s not your fault that your loved one has the disease of addiction and you are not to blame for them reverting back to drug and/or alcohol use. All you can do is continue to guide them in the right direction, make sure you are not enabling their addiction or feeding into their manipulative schemes for money to get drugs and alcohol, and encourage them to seek addiction treatment.

Don’t Give Up on Your Loved One

It can be difficult to watch a loved one slip up and find their way back to their recovery program, only to slip up again. You just have to remember to support your loved one during their recovery journey. Recovery doesn’t look the same for each addict. It may take an addict several different stays at an alcohol and drug rehab center before they are able to maintain long-term recovery while other addicts may get clean after their first try. There’s no telling what it will take for any addict to get clean other than honesty, open-mindedness, and willingness to push through the fear and come out living the life beyond their wildest dreams.

Don’t let your loved one’s addiction run your life. Instead, try to focus on supporting your loved one by encouraging treatment or being grateful if your loved one has made it back into recovery. A cycle of relapses could mean that your loved one needs more intensive inpatient care at a reputable alcohol and drug rehab facility. Finding effective, trusted addiction treatment with a thorough aftercare plan for your loved one could help them reach the recovery they have been striving for.

The Watershed Addiction Treatment Programs is here to help 24/7. Call The Watershed today at 1-800-861-1768.